Sermon Central
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Headship Series
Contributed by George Yates on Oct 31, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: The Biblical teaching of Headship is not popular but it is important. Headship is about submission to doing what is best for those who are lead. It is also submission to those whom the Lord places in headship.
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EPHESIANS 5:21-23
October 29, 2006
New Covenant EPC
“HEADSHIP”
Body Life: The Book of Ephesians
I.Who is in charge here?
A. In America, we have a tremendous concern about our leaders and whether they are doing the right thing.
1. We are fixated on President Bush and the Congress.
2. We are comparing the Democrats and the Republicans as leaders of our country.
3. Poll after poll is being taken to determine who we think is the better leader.
B. In order to have a leader, you have to have one who is willing to follow, to listen, to trust the leader to lead.
II. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. (NIV)
A. The word “HEAD” in the Greek is “KEPHALE” meaning “the head both literally or figuratively”
1. Vines Dictionary says it means “taken in connection with the context, the word "authority" probably stands, by metonymy, for a sign of authority”
2. Headship - Basic definition
a. What does our head do?
b. It gives direction and the body responds.
3. Which is more important? Neither.
a. What would the head be without the body?
b. What would be the body without the head?
c. They are both necessary and essential to each other.
B. When the head no longer has control of the body, we call that abnormal.
1. We take all sorts of medical tests and often we find a disease which limits the effectiveness of the entire body.
2. Many times therapy is prescribed to help the head once again to have authority over the body.
C. Besides this passage, the figurative use of "Head" to mean "Headship" or leadership is found several times in Scripture
1. Ephesians 4:15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. (NIV)
2. Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. (NIV)
3. 1 Corinthians 11:3 Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. (NIV)
III. Headship implies one leading and others submitting to that leading.
A. 21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
1. The word submit is not a very popular word today.
2. When is the last time you even heard the word?
3. The Greek word “SUBMIT” is “HUPOTASSO” which means “to be subordinate to obey”
4. It comes from two other Greek words - “HUPO” which means “UNDER” and “TASSO” meaning “ASSIGNED or ARRANGED”
5. But we in America don’t like boundaries, except maybe to keep illegal aliens out.
a. We pride ourselves as testing all limits.
b. We tested the speed of sound, the force of gravity, the strength of one another in contests of sports.
c. We are a people who to not like to submit to any limits.
6. And yet we live with limits all our lives.
a. We do not drive as fast as our cars can drive.
b. Otherwise we would get a ticket or be in an accident and die.
c. We live within the limits of a day of work.
d. We get up at a certain time, to get to work at a specific time, to end work at a distinct time.
7. Those limits create a certain order which we direct and protect our lives.
B. Submission is necessary part of salvation through Jesus Christ and a necessary part of living out our salvation.
1. Submission is key to repentance and restoration
a. Roman 8:7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. (NIV)
b. 2 Chronicles 30:8 Do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were; submit to the LORD. Come to the sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. (NIV)
c. Job 22:21 "Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you. (NIV)
2. Salvation begins when we acknowledge our sinfulness and surrender to Christ’s Lordship and Salvation.
a. Roman 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (NIV)
C. Why submit to one another? Because they are better? No
1. Submit to one another because it is a tradition of long ago? No
2. Submit to one another so they can take the blame is something goes wrong? No
